You know what you do, right? Any time you are at a networking event, people who don’t know you yet are going to ask you this question. Are you ready to give an answer to that question that compels people to want to know more? Or will your answer bore them to tears?
You really only have about 10 seconds to grab someone’s attention and 30 – 45 seconds beyond that to keep their attention. If your business life (and the growth of your business) depends on what you say in under 60 seconds … wouldn’t it make sense to make some time to think about what you are going to say?
You see folks on both ends of the spectrum of their personal marketing message at nearly every networking event that you attend.
You will hear the people who ramble, reach no point, have no or low enthusiasm, and are uncomfortable talking about themselves. You come away from them unsure or confused about what they do and you probably don’t think about them beyond that encounter. More importantly, you likely won’t share information about them with others that you know or meet.
You will also hear the people who are poised, confident, compelling, interesting, and intriguing. These folks get you thinking about their product or service and you actually wonder, “How do they do that?” or you might be thinking “I need to know more!” And you will ask them questions or you’ll ask them to contact you so you can get more information.
What are the primary differences between these two ends of the messaging spectrum?
Awareness and Practice.
People who convey confidence and create interest in their products or services have a high awareness of how they serve their clients. They have spent time thinking about the who, what, how, where, and why of their business.
- WHO – who do I serve? Who are my favorite clients – which ones make my heart sing? (the kind I want more of) Who are my not so favorite clients – which ones give me heart burn? (the ones I want less of)? And who are the folks in between?
- WHAT – what is the pain that my clients feel? What problems do they have? What issues keep them awake at night? What is their greatest fear?
- HOW – How do I solve my favorite client’s pain? How do I help them? How do I relieve their stress? How do I become their champion?
- WHERE – Where do I serve my favorite clients? Do I go to them? Do they come to me? Do I serve them in person? Do I serve them over the internet? Do I serve them individually or in groups? Do I work locally or globally?
- WHY – Why should anybody care about what I do?
Once you’ve figured out the answers to these questions you can craft the information into a tight presentation that covers the emotional reasons that people do business with you.
And then you practice, polish, and practice some more. Kind of like WASH, RINSE, REPEAT.
Help others to help you spread the word about your business. Become aware of the component parts of your personal marketing message. Hone in on the emotional hooks that will get people interested in learning more about what you do. Practice your presentation so that it simply and effortlessly rolls off your tongue. And remember to smile and be friendly. When you take the time to prepare, your confident message will take wings and soar!